The 2016 NRL season continues this weekend with four teams remaining in the competition. The winner of each match will advance to the grand final, so make sure to read on for our 2016 NRL Preliminary Final Preview and Betting Tips.
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys (Friday 7.55pm AEST)
The Cronulla Sharks will have a shot at redemption this week, after their season was ended last year at the hands of the Cowboys in a 39-0 drubbing. This time around the Sharks will have everything in their favour. They will be playing at home, have a week off whilst the Cowboys are entering the match on two tough contests which includes their overtime victory last week where they played an extra 10-minutes. To add to that they have travelled a huge distance over the three weeks, having travelled to Melbourne to face the Storm, returning home to Townsville and now having to head to Sydney to take on the Sharks. It will be a tiring few weeks for the Cowboys and their stars as they have had to exert themselves completely in the matches too as both games have gone down to the final whistle.
The two week break was definitely needed for the Sharks as the side was carrying a lot of injuries. Their skipper Paul Gallen will return whilst Sam Tagatese and Joseph Paulo are possible in lining up for the side. This will help their forward pack drastically. They are up against Matt Scott and James Tamou but by far the most damaging forward for the Cowboys is Jason Tuamalolo. The New Zealand international was in the media for all the wrong reasons last week but the incident clearly didn’t affect him as he had a huge match and was a handful every time he carried the ball forward. The Sharks will be hoping for a similar impact and response from Andrew Fifita who is often in the media for negative reasons.
The Sharks success through the middle part of the season came off their backline. They would have had two weeks to attempt to get their combinations right but it also could be their downfall as they are two weeks without game time. Ben Barba needs to return to his best form if they are to stand a chance because they look the most threatening when he is running the ball and playmaking at a high level. Meanwhile the Cowboys will rely on their experience and star power in the moments that matter. Johnathan Thurston again provided the goods for the Cowboys with their season on the line and we are predicting he will be able to do the same this weekend to get the Cowboys back to the grand final in a close contest.
TIP: Cowboys 1-12 @ $3.00 with CrownBet
Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday 7.40pm AEST)
The Raiders were able to defeat the Storm in their last meeting but a lot will be different this time around. The Green Machine are a battered and bruised side but what they do have going for them is mateship. The side has a lot of star players that are playing through serious injuries and this makes the people alongside them lift their game and it was proven on the weekend in the first 60-minutes against the Panthers. Their defence was superb whilst they looked slick in attack and if it wasn’t for a couple of wayward passes the score line would have been larger. However, their defensive lapses for the last 20-minutes were disappointing and coach Ricky Stuart hit the nail on the head when he stated the Storm would have punished his side if they played like that. Another issue would be the errors they conceded but you have to expect that when they play the style of footy they do. If those passes stick this weekend they might be able to produce another victory, similar to the one they had earlier in the year. The Raiders were the first side to score more than 20-points against the Storm this year.
The Storm are a predictable side but there is no team in the NRL that plays their style of footy better. They will look to get a lead and then not give the opposition any opportunity of getting back into the match on the back of the game control from Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk along with the discipline and defence of the entire side. Coach Craig Bellamy delivers a role to each player and they all do it close to perfectly. The kicking game of Cronk and Smith was spot on against the Cowboys and it will need to be at its best to keep Jordan Rapana, Jack Wighton and Edrick Lee out of the match. Cheyse Blaire will have his hands full up against Joseph Leiluia and last time it was the Raider who made Blaire look silly as he grabbed a double and looked threatening every time the ball was in his hands. However, Bellamy is a great tactician and he will have a solution for this and we believe he will look to keep the Leiluia and Rapana combination out of the match.
The Raiders have impressed a lot of people this year and have had a much better season than what was expected of them. It is the first time they have reached the preliminary final in almost two decades but unfortunately for them this is where their year will end. The Storm have the home field advantage and it is Cooper Cronk’s 300th NRL game and the Melbourne side always seems to get a win when one of their key players is reaching a milestone. The experience of Cronk, Smith and the power of their forward pack will match it with the Raiders and get them over the line in a narrow and grinding victory.
TIP: Storm 1-12 @ $2.90 with Sportsbet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
